Medziphema village youth organisation serves quit notice to Dean
Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 5
The crisis in School of Agricultural Sciences and Rural Development (SASRD), Medziphema continues. Students of the institute stuck to its earlier demand calling for immediate resignation of the dean, Thursday, August 5. President of the institute’s students’ body said that they have lost confidence in the administrative capabilities of Prof. DP Sharma while adding that they will take up their grievances when a new dean is re-instated.
The students had begun protesting on August 2 following non-fulfillment of a number of grievances which was addressed to the dean. That same day the Medziphema Village Youth Organisation (MVYO) had locked up the office of the dean in relation with another issue. Speaking to the Morung Express Imliangshi Kichu, president of the Students’ Union: SASRD, Nagaland University said that the dean, Prof. DP Sharma has ‘absconded’ himself from the campus beginning August 3 till date. His whereabouts is not known.
However, Kichu said that the students’ body received a letter from the dean the next day in the afternoon in reply to their ultimatum which they had served him on August 2 last.
The letter advised the students to withdraw their ultimatum, Kichu said, besides mentioning “the action taken/contemplated to be taken up by various sections/officials of Nagaland University”.
The reply from the dean, Kichu said, was devoid of any concrete assurance to redress their demands and grievances and only tried to “pass on the buck to other junior officials and work assistants of the institute”.
Expressing the students’ discontent, Kichu said that this attitude shows his disregard to the welfare of the students. “He cannot just leave campus”, he said when admission process are ongoing and a new academic session in the offing soon. As is the norm classes cannot start without the dean’s formal assent, he added.
In April this year, the union had submitted a 13-point memorandum to the Dean, appealing for development of the campus, increase in travel allowance, and installation of ATM, bus service, internet and facility, among others. The dean responded, however after a lapse of four months, that too following a ‘reminder letter’ from the students, Kichu said.
Dissatisfied with the response, the students shot off an ultimatum demanding the dean’s resignation on August 2 and went on strike with the dean ‘absconding’ himself from campus the next day. The students received another response from the dean which was not accepted by the students.
Dean holding office ‘illegally’
Further adding to the crisis the students’ body alleged that the dean is holding office ‘illegally’. A statute under the ‘Nagaland University Act, 1989 states: “a dean on attaining the age of sixty years shall cease to hold office”. The incumbent, Kichu said has crossed the age limit to hold office. The students’ body said they have a copy of the bio-data of Prof. DP Sharma supporting their claim.
Responding to NU Vice chancellor, Prof. K. Kannan’s remark that the age of vice chancellors and deans have been increased to 65 years from 60 according to a circular from the ministry of Human Resources Development issued on March 2009 and which appeared in a section of the local dailies, the students body questioned: “How can a ministry circular supersede an Act of Parliament?” In this regard the students’ body called upon the authority in concern and all concerned to look into the matter
MVYO serves ‘Quit Notice’ to dean
Medziphema Village Youth Organisation (MVYO) has served a ‘Quit Notice’ to the dean of SASRD, Medziphema, Prof. DP Sharma. The notice circulated and pasted in public in Medziphema and within SASRD campus directed the dean “to quit Medziphema on or before 6:00 pm of 5th August, 2010 or face consequences for which it shall be at your own risk”.
A part of the notice read: “We are utterly dismayed, humiliated and provoked aty the way you have treated our leaders who peacefully came to meet you on 2nd August 2010. However, inspite of being gentlemanly, which we expect of you, you went all out to disgrace our very existence. Your act of challenging us and your impotence in dealing wit such situations confuses. Your act of even dismissing our land-donorship as is strongly viewed”.
